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Liberians receive peace prize

Liberians who have worked for peace in their country have been recognized by the All-Africa Conference of Churches.The AACC awarded its first Desmond Tutu Peace Prize to the Interfaith Mediation Committee of Liberia.

Lutheran Church in Liberia Bishop Emeritus Ronald Diggs says, "Relative calm exists now in Liberia, and we're happy for that. We hope and pray it will remain even 10 years down the road." Diggs was instrumental in forming the mediation committee. This year he's lecturing at Pacific Lutheran Seminary, Berkeley, Calif.

The committee formed in 1990 when the Liberian Council of Churches joined forces with the National Muslim Council of Liberia. "Liberia's former president, Samuel Doe, tried to turn one group against the other," Diggs says. "We needed a national effort to approach the civil war, and by joining forces we were able to stop the war from becoming religious warfare."

The committee has become the Interfaith Council of Liberia. "Our biggest area of work now is healing and reconciliation," Diggs says.